Friday, December 28, 2012

One of those injured in the Lagos
firecracker explosions, Jimoh Ahmed,
who spoke with PUNCH on Thursday [Dec. 27], said the injured victims were
abandoned by rescue workers who brought them to the hospital.

Excerpt:

Q:
I learnt you are one of those injured in the banger (firecracker) explosions?

A:Yes.
I had a leg fracture after I jumped from the second floor of the building
housing where my shop was. I had to do it when the firecrackers started going
off.

Q:
But what are you doing on the floor outside the hospital?

A:
I was only able to undertake an X-ray
examination on one of my legs because of financial constraints. Doctors
discharged me today (Thursday) and asked me to come back in two weeks.

Q:
Were you discharged because your case was minor?

A:
No. My left leg is still hurting. I
was discharged because my family members couldn’t raise enough money for my
treatment. As you can see, the Plaster of Paris on my right leg doesn’t cover
the whole stretch of my leg as it should.

Q:
What happened when you were brought here?

A:
The officials just brought us here
and left. Nobody paid for our hospital bill we were only brought here by
emergency officials and left alone to bear the cost of our treatment. I am here
now, unattended to by doctors because I have yet to get money for the X-ray
examination on my left leg needless to talk of treatment. That is why I was
discharged.

Q:
Why are you still here?

A:
My sister went to get some money. I
am waiting to see if she would come back with some money for me to continue
with the treatment.

Sorry Ahmed…Lagos State government is still busy asking questions, like -
who brought the contraband (Firecrackers) into the country; that seems to be of
more priority than the lives involved…SAD